Syracuse has no problems with Rutgers

On a beautiful spring day, the Orange stormed by the Scarlet Knights 19-6 in Charlotte, NC, as a part of the Warrior Classic.

WHAT HAPPENED: At the very start of the game, it looked like it might be a close contest. Rutgers jumped out to an early 2-1 lead, but then the Orange went on to score 12-straight goals and take a commanding 13-3 lead into halftime. The third quarter wasn’t much different, Syracuse continued to dominate and took a 19-4 lead into the fourth. The Orange pulled back in the fourth quarter, slowing the game down. Rutgers scored two goals but that was barely a dent in the huge lead Syracuse already had.

WHAT IT MEANS: This was a great game for confidence and it gave Coach Desko and the team a chance to figure a few things out. But that’s about it. This wasn’t a great win for Syracuse because Rutgers isn’t really a talented team. There were some positives for the Orange today, but keep in mind that these positives came against a team with no real quality wins this season. Bobby Wardwell played well in net and Brian Megill established himself as the new go-to guy at the X. But there isn’t much else to take from this game. The Orange don’t play its next ranked team until Notre Dame, the final game of the year. This game, along with games against Hobart and Georgetown might be what the team needs to grab some composure and get a big win against the top team in the Big East to end the season.

STAR GAZING: Derek Maltz scored a career-high 4 goals today and had solidified a hat trick by the end of the first quarter. The Orange defense also deserves some recognition for only allowing 6 goals in such a fast-paced game.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Orange will be right back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Geneva, N.Y. to play Hobart at 7 p.m. TV: TWCS.